Molded plastic reed plate



March 31, 1959 G. PROLL MOLDED PLASTIC REED PLATE Filed Oct. 15, 1956 INVENTOR Ga Zen Q3011 ATTORNEY nited States Patent C) MOLDED PLASTIC REED PLATE Gustave Proll, Newark, NJ. Application October 15, 1956, Serial No. 615,986

1 Claim. (Cl. 46-66) The present invention relates to a molded plastic reed plate.

The present invention will be particularly directed in its application to a plastic reed plate for use in childrens toys and especially to a circular reed plate which may be associated in childrens toys with spinning, such as spinning tops and the like, to give a harmonious or pleasing sound when the toys are operated.

It is however to be understood that the invention has broad application to the molding of plastic reed plates either circular in character or rectangular and having one or several reeds or a row or a plurality of reeds which may be employed broadly in musical instruments or toys such as harmonicas, accordions, horns, noise makers, and in other connections where a reed structure is required to produce a sound effect.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a readily molded compact, durable, inexpensive reed plate, which may be used to give harmonious of attractive sounds, which will be stiff and rigid and yet readily mounted in place in a childs toy or implement and which will be of such construction as to withstand buffeting or banging without change in tune or breakage of the plate.

In spinning tops or similar toys, considerable difficulty has always been experienced with suitable reed plates due to the necessity of accurately blanking a circular metal plate with most accurate proportionment and sizing of the slots.

This sizing operation had to be most accurate so as to give proper spacing between the plate and the reeds riveted thereto and the attachment of the reed plate to the top or other toy would cause variation or change in the sound effect and sometimes cause a deadening of the reed plate so that only a weak sound would be achieved.

It was not possible to make the metal reed plates of such thickness that they could not be bent or stressed since this would require too heavy a piece of metal which in itself would detract from the desirable sound effect and furthermore with such a very heavy piece of metal, the attachment of the metal reeds as well as the desired proportionment and sizing relationship between the metal reeds and the reed plate would be difficult to achieve.

It is therefore among the further objects of the present invention to provide an integral one piece molded reed plate together with integral reeds in which the size and spacing, which effects the sound, would be automatically determined by the molding operation and could not be subsequently affected upon mounting of the reed plate in the instrument.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a reed plate construction which will reliably produce its predetermined and desired sound effect without change due to attachment stresses or mountings in the toy or device which is to produce the sound or serve as a toy.

A particular object of the present invention is to provide a spinning top construction which will have a simple durable reliable molded plastic reed plate giving a clear,

loud harmonious sound and which will not be subjected to damage or change in sound quality even though subjected to the usual banging or buffeting of toys and especially spinning tops.

Still further objects and advantages will appear in the more detailed description set forth below, it being understood, however, that this more detailed description is given by way of illustration and explanation only and not by way of limitation, since various changes therein may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.

It has been found that the objects of the present invention are most desirably achieved by moving a single circular reed plate with the reeds extending in the same direction preferably against the direction of rotation, instead of being opposed on opposite or on various sides of the center of the disk.

It has further been found that the reeds themselves together with their slots should be molded in a relatively heavy pad the dimensions of which will be slightly greater than the reeds and their slots and at the same time the pad or pads carrying the reeds will be carried in their relatively thin web constituting the principal part of the plate.

The pads should be desirably formed in such a manner as to provide a relatively deep chamber on one side of each reed which will stabilize the sound effect.

It has also been found desirable to stabilize the plate by providing a relatively heavy ribbed or webbed pad which in the preferred form of the invention should be continuous rather than interrupted.

In a preferred embodiment the web should encircle and constitute a peripheral reinforcement for the thin base plate and it should be spaced substantially apart from the heavy pads which carry the reeds and reed slots.

Desirably, this web should be positioned inside of an attachment flange which may be of the same thickness as the bodyof the plate.

Where a circular reed plate is employed, the reeds are desirably positioned about midway or at least between one-quarter and three-quarters of the way from the center of the reed plate which may have a flanged recess.

The outer periphery also should have a reinforcement web, ridge or enlargement extending around the entire periphery thereof.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter will be more specifically described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications can be resorted to which fall within the scope of the claim hereunto appended.

in the drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a top construction according to the present invention showing the article in which the preferred reed plate may be mounted.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view showing the reed plate mounted in position, taken upon the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse horizontal sectional view taken upon the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 showing the bottom plan view of the reed plate.

Fig. 4 is a top perspective view of the reed' plate.

In Fig. 1 there is shown a top A having a handle B with a spiral spring actuator rod C.

The body of the top is formed of an upper metal structure D and a lower metal tip portion E which are connected together at F and by such connection mount the reed plate ,G in position.

The present invention is particularly directed to the reed plate G.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3,the reed plate G is desirably molded integrally of a plastic material such as polystyrene.

Essentially the molded reed plate G has the reeds 10,

11, 12 and 13, which are closely, but accurately, spaced within the slots 14, 15, 16 and 17.

The direction of rotation is indicated at 18 and it will be noted that the toe ends 19, 20, 21 and 22, face or point in the direction of rotation while the heel ends 23 and 24 are away from the direction of rotation.

It is of course possible to have the reverse disposition, but it has been found most important to have all of the reeds directed in the same circular direction whether they be spaced singly or in pairs or in multiples on various sides of the center of the reed plate or whether they be positioned at various angular spacings of 10, 20, 30, 45, 60 or 180 around the circular reed disk or plate.

The portion of the reed plate between the reeds consists of a relatively thin shell 25 while the reeds to 13 and the slots 14 to 17 are molded in relatively thick pads 26.

It has been found that these relatively thick pads '26 of rectangular shape and slightly larger in width and length than the reeds and reed slots, will give a fixed sound effect which will not be afiected by stressing, straining or slight bending of the thin web 25.

Moreover these pads 26 enable the provision of resonant chambers 27 above the reeds which also stabilize and enhance the resonance and timbre of the sound.

Encircling the plate and forming a peripheral web around the entire sound disk G is the depending flange 28 which is deeper than the thickness of the pads 26 of the embodiment shown.

This web will protect the reeds 10 as well as the thin plate portion from attachment and bending stresses.

The attachment flange itself has a thin inside portion 29 and a relatively thick peripheral portion 30.

The thick peripheral portion 30 is held between the flange 31 of the metal body D and the right angular shouldered recess 32 of the tip portion E, as shown in Fig.2.

The tongues 33 will hold the tip portion E in position on the body portion D and clamp the enlarged or thickened peripheral portion 30 in position.

To enhance the stiffening effect, the central opening of the plate G is provided with the downwardly directed circular web 34.

This forms an opening in which the tube 35 may be inserted protecting the plate G from the spiral rotating blade C and its tubular enclosure 35.

In spite of the fact that the plate G is much thinner and only has a fraction of the weight of a metal plate,

it will be more durable and give a most reliable and harmonious sound.

The reeds in being arranged in such a way that they are directed or turned in the direction of air flow will give the desired sound with the proper resonance and timbre.

It will be noted that the reeds are opened by the direction of air iiow which takes place when the top is rotated or spun in the direction 18 and when the air flows between the upper openings 36 and the lower openings 37.

' In operation the air is normally sucked in at the holes 37 and flows toward the toe ends of the reeds 10 to 13 and through the spacing between the toe ends and the slots 14 to ,17 in the general area of said ends 19 to 22.

The air therefore will open the reed from the slot and resonance will be obtained in the chambers 27.

Only a small amountof air will be necessary and it is not important that the top A be spun or rotated with 'great energy or substantially continuously to achieve a desirable sound effect.

The starting of the noise and the vibration of the reeds is most readily achieved with the construction shown.

The thin intervening plate' 25 will be kept from undue bending or stress by the webs 28 and 34 and also have the effect of directing the air against the reeds mounted in the pads 26.

The thin rim 29 with the thickened peripheral edge 30 facilitates firm attachment or seaming of the plate in the top to eliminate any bending thereof.

By the construction shown, heavy metal plates and riveting of the reeds thereto is eliminated and the decrease or change of the sound effect due to mounting of the reed plates has been eliminated.

The proper spacing of the slots and the proper sizing of the sound chambers, slots and reeds is achieved in the molding operation.

The same type of structure may be utilized with an elongated reed plate to eliminate bending or attachment stresses and also to give resonant chambers to reeds.

It has been found most desirable to mount the reeds in relatively heavy pads in a thin mounting sheet.

Although the heel constructions may be formed by extending the heel beyond the end of the slot with a suitable overlap, it has been found most satisfactory for the purposes of the present invention, to have the reeds spaced at all sides from the edges of the slot and to be disposed slightly below the slots with the sole attachment being by way of a bar extending from the sides of the slot to the side edges of the reed adjacent the heel end.

A typical mounting of this character is shown in Patent No. 2,725,779, issued December 6, 1955.

While there has been herein described a preferred form of the invention, it should be understood that the same may be altered in details and in relative arrangement of parts within the scope of the appended claim.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, what is claimed is:

An all plastic molded reed plate comprising a relatively thin circular web having a central opening for receiving the tube of a spinning top and also having a peripheral thickened portion for disposition between the body portion and the tip portion of said spinning top, a first depending flange surrounding said central opening and a second depending flange adjacent said peripheral thickened portion, a relatively thick rectangular pad depending from said web intermediate said flanges and disposed at each side of said central opening, each of said pads having a pair of relatively deep resonance chambers opening through the upper face of said web, and a pair of reeds supported at the corresponding ends thereof by each of said pads, with the reeds extending along the resonance chambers in substantial spaced relation to said upper face of the web, and the reeds on one pad being oppositely directed to the reeds on the other pad.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 229,218 Wier June 22, 1880 1,408,985 Carroll Mar. 7, 1922 1,716,835 Romanoff June 11, l929 2,603,120 Rosenheim July 15, 1952 2,725,779 Proll Dec. 6, 1955 2,765,693 Link Oct. 9, 1956 v FOREIGN PATENTS 643,418 Great Britain 1950 

